By A recent survey by Verité Research found that 34% of Sri Lankan adults are aware of the government’s proposed Online Safety Bill. Among those familiar with the bill, 56% expressed concerns that it would restrict their freedom of expression on social media, while 25% believed it would have no significant impact and 19% thought it would help reduce online misuse.
The Online Safety Bill, published in September and presented to Parliament in October, aims to establish an Online Safety Commission with broad powers to regulate online behavior. However, the Supreme Court has identified 31 clauses that require amendment for the bill to pass with a simple majority, rather than the current requirement of a special two-thirds majority.
The Verité Research survey was conducted in October 2023 and gathered responses from a nationally representative sample of 1,029 Sri Lankan adults. The survey has a maximum error margin of ±3% at a 95% confidence interval.
